Go Up the Wizard Steps
by Little Blue Owl
Summary: Finn listens to Jake's instructions on how to win over a princess. Continuation from the end of Too Young.


Disclaimer: I do not own the plot or characters of Adventure Time, so on, so forth.

AN: This is pretty angsty, I'll warn you now. But, this is probably one of the most in-character pieces I've written, so it can't be that bad. Enjoy!

Go Up the Wizard Steps

Finn glanced up behind him at Princess Bubblegum on the balcony. The phone rested in his hand still, drops of warm sweat dotting the handhold. He considered seriously going up there. But then, what would Princess Bubblegum think of him? Decisions were never his strong suit, like math. Girls were never as easy as monsters.

Maybe Princess would think he was crazy if he just walked up. And if he did, would he say something first? What would he say? He'd probably make a fool of himself. Maybe she would think he was crazy and never talk to him again...! No, he couldn't risk that.

But... It couldn't hurt, maybe. Could it? Maybe if he stopped worrying he'd seem confident, like older. Maybe then, she'd love him.

Who was he kidding? But he looked down, and he was back onto the top step. The marble stairs seemed to whisper him on, to go.

Who was he to ignore them?

He found himself panting, his legs pounding, against the steps. His heart was beating faster than the sun now setting. He couldn't tell if it was the running or her. But he'd rather stop trying to think about it. Everything would turn out better this way.

Finn wondered, as his pace slowed finally, what Jake would think. He's probably surprised that he had the nerve to... To kiss the princess. But... She liked him, didn't she? I mean, she had kissed him earlier that day.

But, he reminded himself, she was thirteen then. Maybe she was too old for him.

Yet his feet kept pounding up the stairs, through the moonlight. His breathing quickened, his heart nearly went on high tide and she was the moon. The closer he got to her, the harder it beat.

Finn wasn't sure when exactly he had reached the last step. His mind was spinning. He was up the wizard steps.

His hand faltered at the doorknob. His breathing slowed. His heart stopped. His fist moved up to the wood, and he knocked.

Three, hollow poundings rang out. She was at the door quickly. It was as though... no, she wouldn't. But maybe...

Her voice called his name so tenderly. "Finn..." The sentence she thought wouldn't come out.

He tugged at his shirt seams and looked down. His backpack seemed very heavy on his shoulders. "Umm, Princess? I... I wanted... I wanted to know if you remember how you, uh, felt when you were... thirteen?" His voice had gone from quiet to silent through the sentence.

Princess Bubblegum sighed. "Finn..." Her voice tore him apart. She sighed again, then held her head up higher. "Hero, thank you. You saved the kingdom."

Seeing his crestfallen face, his watery blue eyes, she held her hand out. She lifted a delicate finger and tilted his face up. "Finn..."

Bubblegum's hand found his arm. Her grip was feather-light on his skin. It tingled. He was lead to the balcony where she had been before and he watched her hand gesture to all of the sky.

"Do you see the stars, hero?" He nodded, very slightly. "I can see you up there in the stars, Finn. See, these stars are moving, all the time. And every once in a while, the stars make a hat just like yours."

He watched her intently as she traced a line to make a hat like his. "Princess," he started softly.

"What, Finn?" she seemed to be listening but distracted all at once. Maybe if he hasn't been thinking so deeply, he would've wondered how she managed so many thoughts at once.

"Princess... Do you, umm..." His cheeks reddened deeply and he looked down. "Do you l...like me?"

She looked surprised at him. "Of course I do, Finn." Then she took a closer look at his face. "It's so complicated." She half-heartedly smiled. "Oh, Finn, hero, thank you."

She leaned down to him and looked at his face. "My hero." And she kissed him lightly on the lips. Then she walked back inside and left him on the balcony.

Finn took a deep breath of the nighttime air and gazed at the stars. He wished she could stay with him, but...

No, it was better this way. He put his happiness second. The kingdom would be better and everything would be better.

Except him.

With a deep sigh he drew his finger across the sky where his hat was written sloppily in the stars. He didn't really hear the door open behind him.

"You need rest, hero." He flinched. Her voice was calm, collected. She didn't... love him. She guided him out the door of the sitting room and to the stairwell.

His legs moved robotically to the rhythm of the wind whipping a loose strand of hair in his face. He let himself fall hard because he wouldn't really be happy until he was all through being sad. Eventually a smile curved on his dimpled cheeks.

Princess Bubblegum had kissed him. Jake was right all along. He got to the bottom of the steps and looked up to where she was watching him climb from the balcony. If he had been closer, he would maybe have heard her speak softly to the wind.

"I wish only that I could be that young forever, hero."

A tear slipped. Too small to see for him on the ground.

"I'm sorry, Finn."


End file.
